Things had considerably died down since the demonic incursion. The vast majority of places were repaired, save for a few locations here and there. Nearly everyone was back to work and there was little mention of the incidence. Despite this, it was far from off of Kerii's mind. Though she too had done a few jobs since the attack, it wasn't done without her mind wandering. It wasn't done without her heart worrying. It wasn't done without her soul searching for some sort of balance between it all. Humans and demons. Her body and Ëala. Good and evil. It was too much for the young elf to handle. Ever since she was little, all she wanted was to live a normal life. At times, she secretly envied humans who made up the majority of the population. She never wanted to be them. She adored the values and traditions Wood Elves held close to their hearts, and she could never imagine her life being anything but that... but at the same time it would have been nice not to be on the tail end of racist remarks. Things might have been just a little easier overall, and she most certainly wouldn't have to deal with any of this Ëala nonsense that was practically driving her insane. Speaking of which, little did Kerii know, some more things were about to happen regarding the spirit that day.

It started off as what appeared to be a normal day. It was still rather frigid in Orchidia, as to be expected in the middle of winter. There had been snowfall overnight, resulting in a fluffy blanket of snow covering the streets of Orchidia. As it was early morning, there were only a few footprints in it. As the day progressed, Kerii was sure that the white bliss would eventually be withered away, but for now it was a pleasant sight to look at. The elf sipped on a mug of hot chocolate as she looked out the window. Truth be told, she didn't quite feel like leaving the house that day. Kerii didn't want to go out into the cold wintry weather and definitely did not want to be doing any requests at that time. Not that doing requests would be a bad thing, but she wasn't in need of jewels at the moment. The elf already had plenty saved and was not worried about rent or not having spending cash. She could easily take a few days off without any worry, but being the workaholic she was, Kerii didn't think that would end up being the case.

Kerii had drained her mug of all its chocolatey contents and started walking over to the sink when she heard a knock at the door. "One moment!" called the elf as she set the mug in the sink. She quickly filled it with water before going towards the door. She couldn't help but wonder who it was. She wasn't expecting company, and there wasn't a letter at the foot of the door, so it clearly was not the mailman... so who could it be?

bloop :3

Kerii gazed through the peep hole on her door and let out a gasp. There, standing in front of the door, was none other than Carnil. His long silver hair had been cut short. His features were slightly sharper than she remembered, and he overall looked "cleaner," but still maintained a light air of raggedness. She had to admit that overall he looked less menacing, and it was better that he was knocking on her door rather than sneaking through the window, but her negative feelings about him were still strong. He had completely betrayed her trust and a change of appearance and small change of action weren't significant enough to change her mind.

"Go away!" the elf harshly said, clenching her fists both out of nervousness and anger. Carnil was quiet for a few moments, each of which were silently agonizing. When he finally thought of the words to say, he cleared his throat and began to speak. "I just want to talk to you. I know how much you must hate me, and believe me, I hate myself for it too, but you just have to trust that I want to talk." Kerii bit her lip. Her hand gently hovered over the door knob as she contemplated what she should do. Her curiosity begged her to listen to what Carnil wanted to say, but her mind told her that it was a bad idea. Her heart reminded her of his betrayal, and she overall got a bad feeling inside of her, but there was still so much that she did not know. Perhaps Carnil was there to shed some light on the situation and enlighten Kerii of at least a few things she still did not have the knowledge of. In all honesty, she would do nearly anything to even retrieve a piece of the truth, even if it was a poor decision overall. As stupid as it may have seemed, letting the murderer of her mother into her home was one of those things.

Kerii opened the door and glared at Carnil. "Come in, sit on the couch, and don't do anything else," she ordered, pointing to where she wanted him to go. "Of course," he replied, compliantly following Kerii's instructions. He did just as she wanted him to do, and awaited for the Lamia to proceed. She too walked over and sat on a chair. She folded her hands in her lap and subconsciously tensed her muscles. "I see you've changed," she began, mostly referring to his appearance. "You as well." The last time he saw her was when she had short, pink hair. She had changed even more dramatically than he did. "Yeah... I went to Crocus to be with my father for a while, and well, I guess I picked up some of his traditions." She twirled a strand of her hair, remembering how much he prided it from being in Elvhenan. "But enough of that. I want to know why you came here in the first place."

bloop :3

Carnil shifted uncomfortably in his seat after Kerii told him he wanted to know why he came. "Well?" she prodded, waiting for an answer to come. "As I said, I just wanted to talk." The Wood Elf rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. If he was trying to reassure her that he was just there to talk and not there to do any magical stuff involving her and Ëala, it wasn't working. Even if he truly was there to have a chat, Kerii wouldn't let her guard down. She didn't expect Carnil to change, but even if he did, he would have to prove it to her countless times over.

"I know, so speak," said Kerii. Carnil took a deep breath in and out. "I... I'm sorry. For everything. I didn't want to do it, but-" His voice cut off and his breaths became shaky. "Riniya and Ëala made me." Kerii was confused, but her gaze remained hard and cold. "Made you do what?" she asked. "Everything. What happened to you and your mother. Everything regarding Ëala. They wanted me to do it, and they would have killed me otherwise." Although Carnil stumbled through the sentence, it wasn't as if it was fabricated. Kerii could tell that it was due to emotions. There were no long pauses or expressions that resembled trying to construe a story. His actions seemed genuine, but that didn't mean he wasn't acting. For now, Kerii would play along. Regardless if this was true or not, there were still some things to this story she needed clarifying on.

"Let me get this straight. There was no physical way you could not have killed my mom? You were required to seal Ëala inside of me by the will of my aunt and the spirit itself?" Carnil knew how bad this must have sounded, for he couldn't even look her in the eyes. "It wasn't all by their will, but none of it was my idea. I know this is hard to believe, but I'm not an inherently bad person. Yes, I've done a lot of wrong in my life, all of which I regret, but there's so much more to the story that you don't know." He sat up straight and mustered up the courage to look Kerii in the eyes. "Clearly, you don't know anything about the situation. I thought your father would have told you at least something, but I now I don't think he did." Kerii sighed and shook her head. "He just loves leaving me in the dark. And, well, as a result, we're not on good terms at the moment." A look of dejection fell across the mage's face, softening her previously stern expression. It was true. Her father either wasn't prepared to tell her anything, or he didn't think she was prepared. In all honesty, she probably wasn't at one point. She was so mentally unstable that she nearly erased her own memory, but Kerii was far past that now. She could handle anything Carnil had to tell her.

bloop :3

"That's understandable. I would be pretty angry if I was kept from all this information as well," Carnil conceded, which garnered a scoff out of Kerii. "Angry doesn't even begin to describe it. Try absolutely devastated to find out that my own mother was murdered, plagued with confusion and frustration that an actual spirit was sealed inside of me, and to top it all off nobody tells me why." There truly weren't enough words in the dictionary to completely describe the elf's emotions. Even Kerii wasn't sure exactly how she felt. There were so many emotions running through her, it was impossible to detect the dominant one. All she could do for the moment was attempt to put up a façade and try to sift through her feelings throughout the discussion.

"You're right, you're right. It's high time someone's told you about this though, and I think it's best to start from the beginning." Kerii looked to Carnil and gave a slight frown. "How do I know you'll tell the truth?" she inquired. Although she was often good at detecting lies, for all she knew, Carnil could be even more adept at hiding them. "You don't," he admitted. "So you'll just have to take my word for it, though I'm sure you'll find all the pieces starting to click together." What he said was true, though at the same time, Kerii found herself drumming up theories from time to time that could possibly explain the situation; however, the things she imagined didn't all quite make sense. The only thing that would make logical sense would either be the complete truth, or an incredibly well thought out story.

Deciding that she had nothing to lose, Kerii gave the go-ahead for Carnil to spill. "Start from the beginning then." A look of relief washed over the silver-haired elf's face. "Thank you for complying." He once again paused to gather his thoughts and regain his composure before telling Kerii what had happened. "As I'm sure you've figured out by now, Ëala is a very... unique spirit. Spirits of course come in all shapes and sizes, but there are those who do not show their true form unless they have a host. Ëala in our language quite literally means a spirit that exists without a physical body. Just the concept is difficult to conceive, for how can it exist without some sort of body, even if it's intangible like a ghost's? As you can imagine, such a spirit is hard to come across, but not impossible. Legends are told of these spirits all across Athalran. My mother became obsessed with the ëalar. They are rumored to bestow exemplary power. You can already imagine how alluring the prospect of obtaining one was, even if it was just a supposed rumor." To this, Kerii nodded her head. So far, everything Carnil said made sense. Even the tale he told seemed to bear some truth. When Kerii's initial Celestial Sky magic was overtaken by the spirit's own magic, it was no stronger than her original one, but that eventually evolved into something far greater.

bloop :3

"I was never told these tales, but they're true to some extent," Kerii said, looking at her hands and the power that they could emit, but Carnil shrugged. "Maybe, but certainly not to how my mother interpreted it. Val'Elvharin is a tricky language, to say the least. Words have double meanings, and when telling a story, some things are lost in translation. In this case it was the extent of the spirit's powers. Some elves believe it to simply mean stronger than most, while my mother and some others believe it to mean nearly limitless, and I think we both know which was the correct interpretation." Kerii nodded her head in agreement. It was clearly the former. Her magic was stronger than it was before, but far from infinite. She could heal injuries to a certain extent, but not yet heal fatal wounds or regrow lost limbs. Such magic was the work of a master healer -- something that Kerii aspired to be one day, but would have to work hard to achieve. Even the strong magic she possessed could not automatically make her that good that fast. From what Carnil had said, it sounded like Riniya tried to find a shortcut around this. Unfortunately, one such did not exist. Or, if it did, it would most certainly be incredibly rare and come with a hefty price.

"Ëala's magic is powerful, but not 'limitless,' as my aunt thought. I take it she discovered that on her own?" This time it was Carnil's turn to agree. "Yes, and she did not take it very well, but I think I should first explain that it was my mother who originally summoned Ëala. Truthfully, I still do not know how you can summon a disembodied spirit like that, but neither does she. She just knew the spell from years upon years of studying alchemy, but once it's summoned into Earthland, it cannot thrive on its own. It immediately took my mom as a host, and as such stated its conditions as a sort of 'contract,' if you will. Should she break the contract, it would end not only Ëala's life, but her life as well. The first condition was that my mom, and any future hosts, could only get Ëala's power if they accepted Ëala. If not, Ëala's raw, unchanneled power would be too much for them to handle, and as a result, their body would deteriorate and eventually give out, ending in their death, so it would be in the best interest for them to take Ëala's power." Confused, Kerii tilted her head to the side. "But Ëala's magic remained dormant inside of me for so long and I didn't die." And to that, Carnil chuckled. "You're a unique case, Atani. You see, I think you've forgotten that you accepted Ëala before your memory was erased for the second time. Once you physically accept Ëala, that simply means it can channel its magic throughout your system without destroying its host. Once you mentally accept it though, only then does its magic truly express itself within you."

bloop :3

Kerii slowly nodded as she processed what he said. That aspect of the spirit's nature made sense, but she was still unsure why she even had to mentally embrace Ëala in the first place. She could have gone without its magic, but everyone seemed to beg her to take it on. "I suppose that makes sense, but why did everyone make it seem like I still had to let Ëala give me its magic?" Before she accepted Ëala, she was completely under the impression that she would die if she didn't let the spirit do its work, but now according to Carnil, that was not the case. Even after she asked the question, his face displayed a look of contemplation.

"I don't know everything about how spirits work," he began, "but what I do know is that you and Ëala have a symbiotic relationship. In nature, to maintain optimal function of both parties, this relationship should be mutualistic. Ëala gets a body, and you get power. It's as simple as that. I'd imagine that with only Ëala benefiting, the spirit would be more like a parasite, and you'd probably face repercussions. Noting fatal, but nothing good either." Once again, this seemed like the most likely outcome, but it only strengthened Kerii's distaste for the whole situation. "I wish someone would have told me. I never wanted Ëala's magic to begin with; I only took it because I thought I had to, and from what I understand using this magic is supposed to come with drawbacks in and of itself... right?" That was one of the things Kerii was trying to get to this entire time. She was told that the spirit's magic was dark, but from what the elf could tell, nothing was inherently 'evil' about her healing magic. If anything, it helped significantly more than it harmed, and that was often seen to be good in nature.

When Kerii asked that question, Carnil seemed unsure of the answer, just like the previous question she asked. "Again, it's hard to say. The whole 'light versus dark' concept isn't something I like to touch on. Magic is magic. It's all gray to me," he explained. Clearly, their perceptions of this conflicted. "There are gray areas," the Lamia conceded, "but some things can be sorted into definitive categories. I just want to know which one Ëala's magic falls under." Carnil's eyebrows knit together as he tried to think of a way to best explain it. "A simple question with a complicated answer," he mumbled. "Let me put it this way. Ëala's magic has, without fail, always manifested as the element of nature. It falls to darkness but prevails over light. It's an entity all on its own and serves as a balance between the two. Those who have accepted the ëalar in the past have almost always gone bad, but nearly all of them took on the spirit in search for power, just like my mother. Once again, you're living under different circumstances. You'll just have to see how things play out."

bloop :3

'Different circumstances' pretty much summed up her life. Kerii just wished that things would be normal for once. Even within the scope of this particular situation she was an oddity among anomalies. She did not seek power, but still had a malefic spirit dwelling within her that true megalomaniacs only dreamed of having. Should they discover that she, out of all the elves, who didn't even want the spirit in the first place managed to get one... Kerii could just their fuming rage.

"There's still so much I want to know," the Lamia said, looking down at her lap. She looked at Carnil once she sorted out the most imperative question that came to her mind. "I know you said that if I got rid of Ëala, I would die, but is there any possible way I could separate it from me... like trapping it somehow?" Carnil thought about this, but couldn't seem to come up with a definitive answer. "I'm sorry. It's hard to say," he admitted. "These spirits are unique creatures and as such, not much is known about them. I wish I knew more. Believe me, I do, but I just don't." Kerii frowned and rested her cheek against the palm of her hand.

"And I don't suppose this spirit would be of much help either." Just like Kerii thought, she didn't hear a peep come out of Ëala. Typical. Even if there was a way to seal the spirit and keep it alive rather than having a symbiotic relationship, she highly doubted that it would tell her anything of value. The spirit liked having a host, but the feeling was not mutual. The elf just couldn't help but feel invaded on several levels. No part of the situation gave even a hint of a comforting thought. "How did Riniya transfer the spirit to my mom then? Theoretically I could do the same to someone else, right? I mean, I wouldn't, but shouldn't it be possible?" she asked, hoping Carnil would come up with an answer. He seemed a little uneasy about her question at first, but then decided to answer it.

"The ëalar are known to be very picky spirits. Once they bond to a host, they generally only accept future hosts of that same gender and bloodline. Sometimes it almost seems like less of a preference but more of a requirement. The spirit adapts and at times cannot survive without familiarity. So, when my mother disposed of Ëala, she sealed her within your mother's body, since it was the most compatible. After Meldë was you, and then, well... that's where it stops. You're the last of the female Tathvirs, Atani. You're the only one Ëala can live off of." This new piece of information was unsettling. Kerii cursed the fact that these creatures existed with such strict rules, but what could be done? "Hypothetically speaking, what if I made it go back into your mom?" asked the Lamia, to which Carnil shook his head. "My mom's gone off the grid. Even I can't find her. Say you do, then what? She's unbelievably intelligent. She'll find you and seal Ëala within you again. It'll be an endless cycle."

bloop :3

Well, there was one way to break the cycle that she could think of, but Kerii didn't have the heart to do it. As such, she wouldn't even breathe a word of it to Carnil. She was sure that scenario had crossed his mind at one point, perhaps even as the two of them were conversing. They both definitively knew of a way the cycle could be broken, but she had a feeling that neither of them would want to do such a thing, so what was the point in even suggesting it. Kerii had already lost her mother. She could tell Carnil harbored some resentment for his own, but he still loved her, and despite what he did, she wouldn't want him to go through the same process.

"What happened with my mom then? When did she get rid of Ëala?" asked Kerii finally. The subject of her mother's death was a sensitive one, but it deserved answers. With Carnil present and telling her everything, this was the best shot to finding out what actually happened that day. Once again, the silver-haired elf seemed uncomfortable with the subject, since he was indeed the person who killed her, but after taking a deep breath, he seemed ready to talk.

"I know you'll find this hard to believe, but she was the one who wanted me to kill her. At the time, she had Ëala living inside of her. Dark thoughts were penetrating her mind and she didn't feel like she was safe for your father or even you. She... she wanted it to seem like a sudden illness struck, but in reality it was a poison I stole from my mom. Your mother believed that if she died, so would Ëala, but it wasn't that simple. She didn't think that Ëala would find you as a host. Both her and my mom believed that only females directly from the Tathvir line could be a host, but it turned out that even you being half Virrel had just enough Tathvir blood to suffice Ëala's needs. She sacrificed herself for you and your family, Atani."

Kerii didn't know how to respond to this. She didn't want to believe that it was true. If it was, then her mother's sacrifice was all for nothing. It would also provide an explanation as to why her father didn't want to share anything. He was probably right that she didn't want to know that Meldë basically died for nothing. Additionally, he might have feelings of guilt. He was unable to protect his wife from the malicious spirit and was unable to prevent the assisted suicide. The Lamia could see why her dad didn't tell her anything, but at the same time, she was furious that he kept her in the dark for so long. She deserved to have the right to know about her own mother's death, but he evidently didn't see it that way. He was just too much of a coward to admit the truth.

Standing up from her chair, Kerii folded her arms across her chest. "Thank you, Carnil. I appreciate you telling me this, but I want to be alone right now." Carnil stood up as well and gave a courteous bow. "Of course. If you need anything, you know how to find me." He slid a slip of papyrus with an elven rune on her table before walking out the door, leaving Kerii alone to process everything that he just said. There were still more questions she had, but she could only deal with so much at a time. Everything Carnil said so far made sense, but he would have to prove a lot more if he wanted to gain her trust.

- Exit -